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* Pearson rises on FY forecast raise

* Ascential jumps on sale of units

* BoE monetary policy meeting on Nov. 2

* FTSE 100 up 0.8%, FTSE 250 adds 0.9%

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 climbed on Monday, on track for the biggest gains in three weeks, as hopes of a rate pause by the Bank of England in its upcoming policy meeting bolstered investor sentiment, while information and analytics firm Ascential lifted midcap stocks on the sale of its units in a $1.70-billion deal.

The commodity-focused FTSE 100 was up 0.8% at 9:16 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 moved 0.9% higher.

Ascential soared 34.2 to the top of FTSE 250 after announced the sale of its digital commerce and consumer research units for a combined enterprise value of 1.4 billion pounds ($1.70 billion).

Investors will closely follow the BoE's monetary policy meeting on Thursday where the central bank is most likely expected to hold interest rates at a 15-year high of 5.25%.

"Interest rates look set to remain on hold in the UK and the US following the ECB's (European Central Bank) decision last week to keep rates unchanged for the first time in over a year," said Victoria Scholar, head of investment, at Interactive Investor.

Recent data has shown a drop in employment levels and further weakness among businesses, cementing hopes of a rate pause.

Rate-sensitive homebuilders' shares moved 1.5% higher, while the real estate index was up by 0.8%.

HSBC reported a fresh $3 billion share buyback and a more than doubling of third-quarter profit.

Europe's biggest was up 0.3%, while the broader banks index gained 0.5%.

Prices of most base metals rose as stimulus measures from top consumer China boosted sentiment, taking the industrial metal miners index up by 1.1%.

Pearson shares rose 1.4%, while the media index climbed 1.2% after the education company upgraded its annual adjusted operating profit guidance, boosted by demand for its assessments and qualifications.

Telecom service provider Airtel Africa led gains on the FTSE 100, adding over 8% as revenue for the first half of the year increased. (Reporting by Khushi Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Sohini Goswami)